Exhibitor.



PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908.

H. PETERSON. EXHIBITOR. APPLIGATION IILED AUG. 24, 1907.

Suvenfoz I I jfwzw'pa 3X); l'n zoom uru/M195 HANS PETERSON, OF SYLVAN GROVE, KANSAS.

EXHIBITOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1908 Application filed August 24, 1907. Serial No. 390,033.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HANS PETERSON, citizen of the United States, residing at Sylvan Grove, in the county of Lincoln and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Exhibitors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to a holder for displaying goods in sheet form, being particularly designed for exhibiting wall papers, and analogous goods, the purpose being to provide a frame, a back therefor of novel formation, securing means cooperating with the back, and a support adapted to be fitted to the securing means for holding the frame in upright position, said support having detachable connection with the back and securing means to admit of the parts being compactly folded for storing or shipping.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings.

While the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions by changes in thestructure and minor details within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 1s a perspective view of an exhibitor embodying the inventlon. Fig. 2 is r a perspective view of the exhibitor as seen from the rear. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the exhibitor on the line w:c of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 2, the dotted lines indicating the outline of the back preliminary to pressing the same home into the frame. Fig. 5 is a detail view, showing different positions of the back securing means by full and dotted lines.

- Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The frame may be of any size, construction and design and is preferably of rectangular formation. The frame bars have recurved flanges 1, which are adapted to receive the goods to be displayed, together with the back and a portion of the securing means. The frame bars 2 are wider than the recurved flanges 1 so as to form a support for the back 3 and the goods 4. In the preferable construction, the frame consists of sheet metal having edge portions folded or bent to provide the frame bars 2 and the .recurved flanges 1, the frame bars being connected at their ends in any way orforming parts of a sheet metal blank, the latter having its middle portion cut out to provide the opening and having its outer edges bent or recurved to provide the retaining flanges. The frame embodies two openings or spaces 5 and 6, the latter being considerably smaller than the former and designed to receive indicating or other matter for the information of the general public or convenience of the merchant, such indicating matter consisting of the stock number and price of the goods displayed. The top opening 5 receives the goods 4, the same being retained in place by means of the back 3. The indicating matter is imprinted upon a card 7, which is placed opposite to the display or bottom opening 6 and held in place by the back 3. The. back 3 is resilient and consists of a piece of sheet metal, which, when straight, has opposite edges engaged under the retaining flanges 1 of the vertical or side members of the frame, said back being of a length a trifle shorter than the distance between the extreme edges of the upper and lower or horizontal retaining flanges, whereby when the upper edge of the back is engaged under the top retaining flange, its lower edge clears the upper edge of the bottom retaining flange.

The back 3 is transversely curved, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, so that its opposite vertical edges may clear the extreme edges of the vertical or side retaining flanges of the frame, thereby admitting of the back being placed in position or readily removed from the frame. After the back has been placed against the rear side of the bars 2 and straightened, its side portions are caused to engage under the vertical retaining flanges of the frame. To hold the back 3 straightened and to force its top edge under the top retaining flange 1 of the frame, securing means is applied to the rear side of the back and consists of a plate 8 pivoted at 9 to said back and having its lower edge 10 made rounding and adapted to project beyond the bottom edge of the back 3, so as to engage under the bottom retaining flange andforce the top edge of the back 3 under the top retaining flange and at the same time hold the back flattened and with its top and vertical edges engagedunder the retaining flanges of the top and vertical bars of the frame. A notch 11 is formed in the rounded edge 10 of the pivoted retainer plate 8 and receives a projecting portion 12 of the lower retaining flange so as to hold the retainer,

plate 8 in proper position.

The goods 4 to be exhibited or displayed is placed upon the rear side of the frame and the back 3 is placed in position thereon so that its top and vertical edges clear the respective retaining flanges .1, after which pressure upon the back 3 causes the same to straighten out and its vertical edges to' pass under the vertical retaining flanges of the frame, and an upward movement of the back brings its top edge under the upper retaining flange. The plate 8 is turned upon its pivot 9 to cause its lowerrounded edge 10 to engage under the bottom retaining flange and ride thereon, thereby forcing the plate upward and holding its to edge under the upper retaining flange. he plate 8, in addition to securing the back in position in the frame, also holds the back flattened, with the result that its vertical edges are held under the vertical retaining flanges of the frame. Surplus goods may be removed in line with the retaining flanges so as to prevent projection of ragged edges, or an untidy appearance. The projecting edges may be torn ofl, using the retaining flanges as cutting edges,- or said projecting edges may be removed by the strain of the goods when flattening the back and moving the same upward to be engaged under the top retaining flange.

The frame with the goods and indicating card 7 in place, may be used. in any desired way for exhibition purposes, and when the frames are to stand alone, a'support 13 is provided, the same consisting of a stout wire doubled upon itself to form a loop and having its end portions bent in the same direction to stand. at an angle to the loop or base of the support, said bent ends 14 being slipped into rolls 15 at opposite vertical-edges of the re tainer plate 8. The support 13 may be used with a number of frames to hold the same in upright position for proper display of the goods when exhibiting the same to a respective customer. When the frames are disconnected from the support, they may be placed one upon the other in compact form.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: 1. In combination, a frame provided at opposite edges with retaining flanges, a back curved between its edges and adapted when flattened to have opposite edges engage under the aforesaid retaming flanges, and securing means for holding said back flattened and in pro er position upon the frame. 2. n combination, a frame having retaining flanges at opposite edges, a resilient back curved between 0 posite edges and adapted when flattened to iave said edges engage under the aforesaid retaining flanges, and securing means pivoted to the back and adapted to engage with a portion of the frame to hold the back flattened and in proper position upon the frame.

3. In combination, a frame having retaining flan es at opposite edges and upon the interme iate edge, a resilient back curved between opposite edges and adapted when flattened to have said edges engage underthe opposite retaining flanges of the frame, and securin means pivoted to said back and ada te to engage under the retaining flange of t e frame intermediate of the retaining flanges engaging over opposite edges of the back to hold the said back flattened and to the frame.

4. In combination, a frame having retain-- ing flanges at three of its edges, a back of resihent material curved between opposite edges and adapted when flattened to have said edges engage under opposite retaining flanges of the frame, and a retaining plate pivoted near one end to the back and having its opposite end made rounding and adapted to engage under the third retaining flange of the frame.

5. In combination, a frame having retaining flanges at-three of its edges, a back of resilient material curved between opposite edges and adapted when flattened to have said edges engage under opposite retaining flanges of the frame,and a retaining plate piv oted near one end to the back and having its opposite end made rounding and adapted to engage under the third retaining flan e of the frame, and an interlocking means etween.

the free end of the retaining plate and-the retaining flange with which it cooperates.

6. In combination, a frame having retaining flanges at four of its edges, a resilient back curved between opposite edges and adapted to engage under opposite retaining flanges of the frame when said back is flattened, said back being of a length between its opposite edges to clear the remaining two retaining flanges of the frame and adapted to engage under one of said flanges by a sliding movement, and a retaining plate pivoted to said back and adapted to engage under the fourth retaining flange to hold the back flattened and three of its edges in engagement with three of said retaining flanges.

' In testimony whereof I afflx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, HANS PETERSON. [L. s.] Witnesses:

J. G. B. PINNEY,

E. G. BErrRHoRsT. 

